Have imminent travel plans and be able to prove it. Most (though not all) agencies will need proof that your trip is scheduled within two weeks in order to make an appointment, or that you need to submit your passport for a visa within 28 days.

Call to make an appointment, or just walk in to the agency, but be ready to wait in long lines with a number, DMV style.

If your passport was lost, have a copy of your birth certificate with you. In some cases, an iPhone photo of it will suffice.

Bring a new passport-size photo with you to the agency. Surprisingly, passport agencies will not have an area in which to do this.

Be ready to pay a $60 expediting fee, as well as the standard $135 application fee for a new passport, or $110 if you're renewing an expired one.

Wait. It will will take around three to five hours to actually make a passport, so take that into consideration when making your appointment. You can either sit tight at the agency, or leave and come back — they will give you an estimated window of time they're expecting your passport to be ready.